If the isolation and meat shortages during the pandemic piqued your interest in hunting, you’re not alone. Last year many states saw a jump in purchases of first-time hunting licenses, according to Pew Trust, including a 9 percent rise in Maine and a whopping 67 percent increase in Michigan.

Hunters eat pretty well: Meat from elk and white-tailed deer contains more protein than beef. Venison and elk are also rich in B vitamins, iron, and conjugated linoleic acid, which studies suggest boosts brain function, improves energy and endurance, and helps manage blood sugar.

We tapped Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater, the Native co-owners of Red Mesa Cuisine in Santa Fe, to create an easy elk recipe for new hunters. “Everyone we have cooked this for says it’s the best wild-game dish they’ve tasted, and we tend to agree,” Frank says.

Whitewater says it’s traditional in Native communities to honor fresh game with an offering—in this case, branches from a piñon pine, which infuses the meat with an earthy flavor. No piñon where you are? Don’t sweat it: the recipe is still delicious without it. Whitewater likes to serve this over a creamy sweet potato mash.—Adriana Velez

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